Minor Characters: Preludes
by RowenaR
Summary: Maj. Thomas Moore, Capt. Laura Greenspan, 1st Lt. Maureen Reece and MSgt. DeLisle of SG-10 seen through the eyes of Major Lorne. Pre-'Odd Man Out', part of my 10 ocs challenge, reactivated for one more story.
1. Both Sides

**Author:** RowenaR

**Rating:** K+

**Category:** General

**Disclaimer:** Stargate belongs to Gekko and… all those other people making money with it. Anyway, I don't. Honestly. So – I don't own, you don't sue. Deal?

**Summary:** Maj. Thomas Moore, Capt. Laura Greenspan, 1st Lt. Maureen Reece and MSgt. DeLisle seen through the eyes of Major Lorne. Pre-'Odd Man Out', part of my 10_ocs challenge.

**A/N:** After Fanfic100, there came 10_ocs... and this little collection is the SG-10 part of it. They're all prequels to my first SG-10 multichapter story, _Odd Man Out_ and can be seen as preludes to the actual Minor Characters series. They'll be in no particular timeline because I wanted to start posting before I had them all done but you can count on me keeping you p to date with the correct order ;)

The first one was beta'ed when **mac **was supposed to be on beta-cation... now _that's_ what I call a dedicated beta. But _someone_ should probably explain the meaning of the word "vacation" to her...

Anyway, as always: Not a native speaker, so please excuse any weird grammatical constructions, run-ons and typos. Feedback will earn you a cookie, flames will roast my marshmellows.

* * *

Prompt: 02 Dawn

**Both Sides**

"_Don't walk away from here  
'til you see both sides."_

_Phil Collin__s, "Both Sides Of The Story"_

"So I hear you finally got a permanent replacement for Lieutenant Walraff?" For a moment, Major Thomas Moore doesn't react and continues to stare at the bunch of records in front of him. Okay, probably not a good time to approach him…

"Yeah, but I'm still hoping it's all just a big fucking joke." That really doesn't sound good. Ever since SG-10 lost Walraff five months ago, Moore had been in a bad mood, and that was euphemizing things. He'd talked with Greenspan about the whole thing albeit rather briefly because SG-10's members were never forthcoming to talk about the deaths of team members and she'd confirmed his suspicions that Moore took it rather hard.

Walraff had been a promising young Air Force Lieutenant, very good at what he did; a star on the rise… but sometimes it only takes one mission to go to hell in a hand basket to end a promising future before it even began. He guesses that Moore saw a kind of protégé in Walraff and never quite got over his death – or probably rather his own part in it – until now.

Although sensing he should probably let this lie, he still sits down. It's time Moore starts to let go of his guilt complex… and besides he _is_ interested in who'll take Walraff's place. "Care to elaborate?"

Moore glowers at him. "No. But I guess you won't go away until I do, huh?" Mh, nope. It's starting to become way too interesting. "Right, thought so. Here, have a look at her." With that he throws him a file that's surprisingly thin for someone with aspirations to become a member of the SGC.

Curious, he opens the file. First Lieutenant Maureen Catrina Reece, USMC, born in New York, both parents deceased, no siblings, a Bachelor's degree with a double major in linguistics and sociology from NYU… and straight out of OCS. Huh. "Yeah, that's what I thought as well. It's _gotta_ be a fucking joke."

He frowns. "Well, it doesn't have to. I mean, Walraff was straight out of ROTC as well…"

Impatiently, Moore waves his hand over the file. "Walraff was a fucking _poster boy_. Read on and you'll see what I mean."

Suppressing a sigh he does so, getting a little annoyed at Moore being all gloomy and brooding and intimidating. He skips the rest of her file to get to her grades and her instructors' and COs' performance evaluations. Apparently… so far Lieutenant Reece was a rather average Marine, not really bad but no outstanding military achievements either. Okay, that _is_ strange. Frowning again, he looks at Moore. "Did she apply for this posting?"

"No. I was evaluating candidates who _did_ apply when I got this e-mail informing me my new team member was a certain Lieutenant Reece and her file was in the attachment." Huh. That's really strange. Usually, team leaders get to choose their team members themselves. However, usually, Moore grumbles about the process of evaluating candidates even more than he grumbles over other paper work.

Which is why he can't help smirking and quipping, "Maybe you should be thankful to someone took that great burden from you this time."

Oh. Ouch. If looks could kill Moore would have just dumped a nuke on him. "This is _not_ funny, Lorne. Something isn't right here and I'm determined to find out what this is about." Uh-oh, that doesn't look good. In fact it looks like something that will get Moore in trouble… _again_.

"Uh, Moore… when you ask the Old Man… be careful, okay? Williamson's not here to save your ass this time and I'm not very inclined to do it either." Their Academy days might be long gone but he really cleaned up after Moore often enough _then_ that he doesn't really feel in the mood to do so ever again…

"Actually… I did ask the Old Man and…" Just great. He managed to piss off Jack O'Neill. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I didn't get on his bad side… well, much."

Yeah, that was to be expected. He really has _no_ idea how someone like Moore, who always wants his subordinates to follow protocol by the letter, can get himself in trouble with his superiors on such a regular scale. No wonder he gets flak from _his_ subordinates – mostly Greenspan – often enough. "One of these days you're really gonna screw it up, Moore."

"Yeah, and we can talk about that when it actually happens. Can we please stay on topic here?" Ah, someone knows very well that he can't go on like this forever.

He sighs. "So what did the Old Man say?"

Moore shrugs, looking gloomy again. "That I should keep my grubby hands off things that aren't my business. How can this be _not_ of my business? It's about _my_ fucking team."

Well, that's true… and adding confirmation to Moore's suspicions that something is fishy about this. He has a look at the file again. Well… this Lieutenant might be an average Marine but she's no average _linguist_. Her grades look impressive and he's surprised by the number of languages she speaks or at least has basic knowledge of. Still doesn't explain why they picked her for Moore's team – Black Ops, after all – but at least it explains why the SGC might take an interest in her.

Also… she doesn't seem to be a slacker. Her parents died before she went to college and she financed it with several scholarships… and apparently worked her ass off at some part-time jobs. Seems like she knows how to take care of herself when things got tough. Looking at her picture again – a serious young woman with red curls neatly tucked into a pony tail – he gets the feeling that… there's more to her than meets the eye. He turns back to Moore. "Just for once you're right." Moore looks smug now, and that's why it's even funnier that he's about to burst his bubble, "_But_ I think you'll be in for a surprise."

"Yeah, a _nasty_ one," Moore growls and he can't help grinning.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Give her chance, Moore. I just have this feeling that this could turn out interestingly." Still resolved to be an ass about this, Moore glowers at him again.

Then he takes back the file and puts it away, obviously determined to bring this conversation to an end. "I'll come back to that when she screws up the first time." Oh, she _will_ screw up, he's sure of that. They all did at some point in their first few months at the SGC. He just isn't sure if it'll really bring the reaction Moore apparently hopes for – either her resignation or being ordered out of the SGC – because this Marine could be tougher than they think. "So… how's Williamson doing?"

Damn, there goes his chance to rile up Moore a little more because when this guy changes the topic… it means he's finished with a conversation and won't take kindly to any attempts to steer it back. And he's just not in the mood for any more brooding Moore. So he should take up this new topic, although he's not really keen on talking about his brother-in-law. It's probably Moore's revenge for pointing out he might be wrong about Lieutenant Reece. Oh well. "Yeah, well… he got offered a posting in D.C. She hasn't said anything… but I guess Anna's not exactly _happy_ about it."

At that Moore grins and they get into a happy little gossip session, just like back at the Academy and he's relieved to see that it finally lifts Moore's mood from the gloomy depths of self-incrimination and feeling punished for what happened on that mission where SG-10 lost Lieutenant Walraff. As much of an idiot or an ass Moore sometimes might be… they're still friends.


	2. A Push

**A/N: **Second chapter in the Preludes to _Odd Man Out_, introducing another member of SG-10 through the eyes of Major Lorne. This one takes place after _Both Sides_... oh, and language warning because if there's one thing Reece mastered quite well in OCS, it's the potty Marine mouth (although **mac** said she was disappointed that there wasn't more of that in here...).**  


* * *

**

Prompt: #07 Nothing

**A Push**

"_And all this time  
All this time  
You've had it in you  
You just sometimes need a push."_

_Maria Mena, "All This Time"_

What the… first, there was a blur in SGC blue, then a screeching, then a crash and then, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" could be heard through the whole corridor. A little wary, he decides to have a look at what the hell just happened and rounds the corner he heard the crash coming from.

The sight that greets him… makes it a bit hard for him to keep serious. On the ground, there's a young woman in SGC fatigues with red curls who's swearing under her breath and rubbing her shoulder and her ankle. He clears his throat in a futile attempt to hide his amusement and says, "Everything okay, Lieutenant?"

The woman in question – he recognized her as Thomas Moore's new linguist, First Lieutenant Maureen Reece, USMC – suddenly stops swearing and turns around to him, furiously blushing the moment she recognizes who just addressed her. "Uh no, sir, really, I'm fine. Thanks… thanks for asking, though."

Yeah, that's the Reece he got to know a few weeks ago. He'd passed by Moore's office and had been a little weirded out by the amount of yelling coming out of it. Okay, so Moore had never been one of the quiet officers but he thinks he never heard him yell like that at _anyone_ before. After a few more minutes of spectacular achievements in the department of volume, the yelling had ceased and a young woman had nearly crept out of the office… matching the girl from the record Moore had shown him a month prior to the yelling incident.

All she'd done, though, when he'd remarked that dogs who bark don't bite had been a little tight smile that had been a strange crossover between shy and sarcastic and scurrying away. Now however… she doesn't look like she'll do much scurrying for a certain amount of time. "Fine, huh? Doesn't look like that to _me_, you know."

She blushes a little more if that's even possible and looks away, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It was just… I'll be fine, sir, really." With that, she tries to get up… only to be hindered by an ankle that doesn't really want to cooperate. Another curse escapes her. "Stupid fucking…" Then she seems to have realized that there's a superior officer present and she clears her throat. "Sorry, sir. I… uh… I _might_ need your assistance."

Now he finally can't hold back a grin anymore. "Sure." He holds out his hand and after a little hassling, she comes to stand on her feet. A little wobbly at first but it seems like she got back her footing.

Well… until her first step, that is. Apparently, she must have hit the ankle pretty hard because she only gets to limp a few steps. There's something sounding suspiciously like a growl coming from her and then a murmured, "The Major will _kill_ me."

Whoa. Seems like Moore was pretty much successful with his usual tactic of instilling fear in his junior officers. And like always, he feels the irresistible urge to counter it… not just because he just can't resist a chance to get on Moore's nerves but also because he wants to keep Moore from losing a good subordinate because not everyone knows him as well as he does. He sighs soundlessly. "Nah, he won't."

She turns around, giving him another one of those tight little smiles. "Yes, he will. There's a mission in two days and he'll kill me because he'll think I did this on purpose so I won't have to take part in it." Uh-oh, someone started to ramble… and he keeps on being amused, painfully having to disguise it so as not to startle her. "But I was really just… I had this great idea concerning that translation on my desk when I was in the mess hall and I… and I will now stop talking and try to find a hole where I can hide myself for all eternity. Yeah. Good plan."

Hey… a Marine with a sense of self-irony… that's something unheard of, he's sure. Grinning a little, he replies, "Or we could get you to the infirmary first." She wants to say something – to object, no doubt and he wonders if Moore has any clue as to what trouble that Marine could be if she realized how headstrong she apparently is – but he thinks she's done enough objecting for today. "No buts, Lieutenant. Come on, you need to have them look at it if you want to be fit for that mission."

That… seems to have the desired effect. Alright, so he should keep this in mind, in case Moore really starts bitching about his lazy Marine Lieutenant who never wants to go on missions… although, if he's honest, Moore never did that before. It's the one thing he _never_ bitched about since having Reece on his team. He bitched about clumsiness, lacking shooting skills, lacking tactical skills… but _never_ about laziness. "Yeah… yeah, guess you're right, sir. Alright, I'll take a little trip to the infirma…"

"_We_ will take a little trip to the infirmary, Lieutenant," he says friendly, but firmly enough that she has to realize he means business. Of course he could let her go on her own but one of the reasons he chose to serve was that he wanted to help people in need… and that includes fellow soldiers.

After something that could also be a resigned sigh, she finally gives in. "Alright, sir. _We_ will take a little trip to the infirmary." With that she lets him pull her arm over his shoulders and slowly they make their way through the corridor. She grits her teeth but not once he does hear her whining or wailing, not even a little whimper and he starts to realize… that he was _right_ in telling Moore there might be more to this Marine than he thought.

But from the way she fears Moore's reaction to this little accident… he also gets the feeling that he might have to make _her_ see that there's more to _Moore_ than just the sadistic bastard she might think him to be. He clears his throat. "Lieutenant… just for the record: I _really_ don't think Major Moore will kill you for a sprained or broken ankle."

She grunts, and then says, "Maybe he wouldn't if it had happened during a heroic attempt to save the galaxy… but not if it happened because I couldn't slow down in time." Yeah, okay, right… good point.

Still… "It'll be fine, honestly. So yeah, he might do that yelling bit again, but…" and here he feels himself growing a little more serious because he has the feeling that the Lieutenant won't listen to him otherwise, "Lieutenant, I know you have a slightly different picture of him but I've known Major Moore for a few years now and I can honestly say he's a very decent guy."

There's a short, humorless snort from her. "No offense, sir, but _you_ are also not a Marine Lieutenant who's fresh out of OCS and can do _nothing_ right."

The cynical and near desperate undertones of the statement make him stop so he can look her in the eye. "Look, I know he's been giving you hell… but it's because he does that to _every_ newbie on his team. He even did it to Laura… Captain Greenspan. I just _bet_ he even did it to _Sergeant DeLisle_. He'll get over it, eventually. And you'll survive it." Well, if the galaxy doesn't kill her first but he's pretty sure she learned _that_ already.

Now… her eyes start to shimmer a little and he'd like to attribute it to the pain but his instincts tell him that right now, the pain is totally irrelevant to her. "I'm neither Laura Greenspan nor Simon DeLisle, sir. That says enough, doesn't it?"

Right now… he'd really like to tell her what _Laura_ told him about her – that she's working very hard to keep up with the team, doesn't complain on missions and does very well with the additional workload from the Translations department – but he has the feeling that it's something Laura needs to tell her so all he says is, "No, you're not. You're Lieutenant Maureen Reece who apparently did well enough in college and OCS that someone found it a good idea to suggest her as part of a SG team. _That_ says enough, doesn't it?"

Reece opens her mouth again and he's _positive_ she wants to veto him _again_ so he raises his index finger and gives her his best 'Enough of that nonsense' CO glare and she thinks again before answering. In the end it's simply, "Right, sir. It… does."

Satisfied with her answer, he takes her arm around his shoulders again and replies, "Glad you finally see that, Lieutenant."

At first, she doesn't say anything… but after a few more hobbled steps, she mumbles under her breath, just a little defiantly, "He's _still_ gonna kill me."

Something in that… was irresistibly funny and he just can't hold back a snort before he says, "Nah, he won't. He's too afraid of Captain Greenspan for that."

To his surprise, her reaction is a little amused snort and then, "You might… have a point there, sir." Of course he does. He wants to tell her so but she adds, "So… hope you don't mind me asking… but where exactly do you know the Major from?"

Huh… where's that timid little Lieutenant Moore had been bitching about and who he'd seen just a few minutes ago? Seems… seems like all it takes to lure Reece out of her shell are a few well-placed friendly words and treating her as the officer she was… not the one she _wasn't_, at least not yet. Maybe… he really should talk to Moore about that. "Well, we were in the same Academy class. Actually, I know a nice little story about Major Moore that I'm sure he wouldn't mind me telling you…"

Alright, so Moore probably _would_ mind it… but better he wants to kill _him_ for telling that story than Reece for being a little hasty. So he starts telling her his story during their laborious trek to the infirmary, with the firm resolve in the back of his mind to give Moore a word or two about being an ass to every newbie – and this one, especially – on his team. Yeah. Good plan.


	3. All the Great Things

**A/N:** This one takes place _before_ the two last chapters and probably marks the beginning of the SG-10 that we know. Also, **mac**'s snark for it was totally FTW (also, she's supposed to be on spring break and wants Lorne as her ho... yes, that's the way our conversations go, in case anyone wanted to know...)!

* * *

Prompt: _10 Down (Writer's Choice)_

**All the Great Things**

"_Once upon a time there was a tavern  
Where we used to raise a glass or two  
Remember how we laughed away the hours  
And dreamed of all the great things we would do."_

_Mary Hopkin, "Those Were the Days"_

Another night on stand-by with nothing much to do besides sitting around in the ready room and trying to finish _Anna Karenina_ for the hundredth time because he promised his sister he would… but that can wait. He just started his shift half an hour ago, it's only 1830 and there are still lots of people on the base. In fact… in fact he knows that Laura Greenspan, a friend of one of his Academy buddies, had been transferred to the SGC two weeks ago and should be on shift in the infirmary.

He hadn't been able to talk to her for longer than maybe a few minutes in the past two weeks because they had always been on different shifts so he decides that tonight would be a good time to finally catch up with her. He'd been a second year cadet when she had started as fourth class cadet at the Academy but he had known her before because she was Thomas Moore's best friend and had visited him often enough in Colorado before joining up herself.

In third class he'd briefly considered asking her out on a date but he'd learned pretty fast that Laura Greenspan was like a little sister to Thomas Moore and that dating your Academy friends' little sisters was out of bounds – didn't keep Charlie Williamson, the third in their circle of friends from dating _his_ little sister, though, but that's totally another story.

Anyway… after about two years of sporadic letters and e-mails and occasional encounters at Academy alumni get-togethers, she suddenly turned up at the SGC. In hindsight, it doesn't surprise him that much anymore, since all he heard about her had been that she had aced another course or won another scientific award and those soldiers always turn up at the SGC sooner or later.

Also, he heard it through the grapevine that she got off-world clearance two days ago and since she isn't talking to Moore for some reason or other – he suspects it has something to do with Moore disappearing from _everyone's_ radar for a little over a year and missing her graduation – he started to consider asking her if she was interested in a spot on his team. He could really use a medic and since they're one man short… he can try, at least.

When he reaches the infirmary, he saunters into the room, pleased to find it really quiet tonight. Knowing the docs like to hole themselves up in one of the offices in the back when it's quiet like this, he walks over to the one with the door slightly ajar and low music coming out. He knocks and thankfully enough, it's indeed Laura's voice that answers. Expectantly, he opens the door and enters the room.

She's sitting at the desk, patiently filling in and signing forms. It always astounds him. Usually, Laura Greenspan is a bundle of energy, bouncing up and down, occasionally making everyone in her vicinity insane with it. But whenever she's doing paper work… she can sit at her desk for _hours_. Sometimes even _he_ has difficulties staying calm and patient with it but he _never_ saw or heard her grumbling about paper work – or fling whole stacks of paper off the desk in a bout of overbearing frustration like Moore is sometimes prone to do.

After another moment where she simply keeps working, he clears his throat and she finally looks up. "Evening, Major."

He rolls his eyes. "I've seen you after a twelve hour studying marathon… several ones, actually. You don't honestly think I'd make you call me Major _now_, right?"

She shrugs, then grins. Yeah, right. He should have known that she was just teasing him. "Well, you never know with you flyboys. You always get the strangest ideas." Mh, still peeved at Moore, are we? He makes a mental note not to piss her off because she seems to be one of those girls with the memory of an elephant.

"Gee and here I thought I found someone to kill time with. Guess I'll have to go and look for someone who actually _enjoys_ talking to me." If she can tease him… he can very well do so with her.

However, Laura isn't fazed that much and simply smirks and says, "Bored already?"

Right. No use in denying anything because she always had that uncanny doctor's sense that could detect a lie three miles against the wind. He sighs. "Out of my wits."

That only makes her smirk deepen. "Don't you have a book to finish?"

What the…? Instantly he regrets the day his sister and her met the first time. "I should have never introduced you and Anna to each other." That serves to make her look smug and he thinks that this is really a good moment to change the topic and divert her, so he adds, "So, I hear you got off-world clearance?"

"Yep." Still smug, but now at least for another reason.

Alright so… better ask now because he never might get another chance. "Got picked by a team leader yet?"

Come on, don't tell me… "Nope. But there are a few spots that look good." _Yes_. He has a new top-level medic just in reach and he just has to make the deal perfect.

Trying to sound absolutely casual, he starts with, "Say, you wouldn't consider…"

He doesn't get very far though, because suddenly a voice from the door says, "Keep your grubby hands off my future 2IC, Lorne."

Caught off-guard, he turns around to glare at Major Thomas Moore. His eyes narrowed, he only gets as far as "What the hell…"

Moore, however, doesn't let him finish again and says with an almost disgusting amount of smugness in his voice, "Yup, that's right. Got her transfer to my team approved by the Old Man."

Feeling a little betrayed – Moore _knew_ he was looking for a medic for his team, for Heaven's sake – he turns back to the doctor in question and can only utter an almost horrified, "Laura!"

Laura… just gives him an innocent batting of her eyelashes and simply reply, "Evan?"

This… is starting to become really confusing. Still trying to sound at least half-dignified, he tries to get an answer to one of the most pressing questions. "Didn't you say…"

"Yeah, well, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse." What the _hell_? Can't they let him finish his sentences just for once? God, he should have known it would go like this the moment Laura decided she'd been giving Moore the silent treatment long enough. If they weren't both his friends, he'd find them insufferable.

There's still a question to answer, though and he makes a second attempt, not quite able to hold the agitation back. "You were _pissed_ at him. You wouldn't even talk _about_ him, let alone _with_ him."

At least Laura now has the decency to look sheepish – unlike Moore who just continues looking smug, the bastard – and rubs her neck when replying, "Until he made…"

"You an offer you couldn't refuse, yeah I get it." Really, this wasn't the answer to his question and by the slight blush Laura knows that very well herself.

Of course, now it's time for Moore to interfere again. "I know it's hard to admit defeat, Lorne, but you know how it is… You were always too slow to make your move." Just for a very tiny moment he's ready to jump Moore for this comment because… there'd been two or three occasions when the same thing hadn't been about medics for a SG team but about a girl he'd had set his eyes on for several weeks until Moore had just breezed in and got her to go out with him without even _trying_ to.

But then he remembers that those days are over and that getting into a fight with a fellow soldier never solved anything – after all, Anna had _married_ Williamson in the end – and he just grits his teeth and says, "One day, Moore… you'll see that karma's a bitch, even to you."

Moore wants to reply something but Laura just rolls her eyes and he ends up saying, "And one day you'll have learned to be fast enough." Yeah, well… maybe.

Seeing that tension between them is easing a little, Laura closes her file and says, "Does it help you that I would have said yes if Tom hadn't been faster, Evan?"

Actually… it does. Because it means that the only reason she said yes to Moore's offer probably was that he _is_ her best friend and had nothing to do with the fact that he had been too slow to make up his mind… or that he was inferior to Moore in leadership and standards. He'd have hated for Laura to consider him an inept soldier. However… he'd never admit that aloud, of course, so the only thing he says is, "Marginally."

Rolling her eyes again, Laura gets up and says, "You know, guys… I'm _starving_. Anyone want to join me for dinner?"

He looks at Moore again and he grins. Right. Being faster… "Sure." Oh well. At least this time he'd been _as fast_ as Moore, which is probably a good beginning. With another grin Moore just raises his eyebrows and Laura snorts, giving them both a slap to the back of their heads. And suddenly… it's like back in the good old Academy days as they make their way to the mess, bickering and teasing and talking as if there hadn't been any separation whatsoever and he thinks that maybe… it's not that bad to have them both here at the SGC. At least it won't ever get boring with those two on the same team.


	4. Brothers in Arms

**A/N:** And here we go with the last _Preludes_ piece. Everyone who paid a little attention knows that it's Dee's turn now and because I just can't write in order, this one takes place _before_ the other three pieces (i.e. Dee was the first of Moore's team Lorne met). I wrote this as the last one because Dee proved to be the hardest one, always keeping to himself and all that. I also tried to shed a little light on the year Moore was gone from everyone's radar but.. he's very persistent about keeping that a secret and Dee isn't exactly helping either. Also... **mac** and I will _definitely_ go to beta and author hell, respectively. You really should see her snark to the groundwork I give her...

* * *

#06 Shadow

**Brothers in Arms**

"_Through these fields of destruction  
baptisms of fire  
I've witnessed your suffering  
as the battle raised higher  
and though they did hurt me so bad  
in the fear and alarm  
you did not desert me my brothers in arms."_

_Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms"_

He's been watching them for quite a while now but he still doesn't get them. It's been three months since Major Thomas Moore and Master Sergeant Simon DeLisle arrived at the SGC, only a few weeks after he did and ever since then he can't help but watch them. He used to know one of them – Major Moore, that is – fairly well but that feels like it was ages ago.

Okay, actually, it _was_ kind of ages ago. They were in the same Academy class a few years ago and kept in touch through all the years, seeing each other on postings, deployments, training courses, weddings, formal functions… and then, suddenly, Moore had been gone. Just from one day to the next, he hadn't answered any e-mails, phone calls, _postcards_… just nothing, to anyone. It had been like Moore had just _vanished_.

And now, suddenly, after a year he's back again and shows up at the SGC of all places, like it were the most normal thing to do… with that quiet, serious Sergeant in tow. At first he hadn't even noticed DeLisle while he'd been trying to reconnect with Moore – who had been particularly _unwilling_. It's not like he'd brushed him off or anything… he'd even been kind of his usual obnoxious self but whenever he'd tried to ask him about that year he'd been gone… he'd just ignored the question.

After a while he'd realized that whenever he tried to wiggle it out of Moore where he'd been or what he'd done… DeLisle had been not far away, almost always giving Moore a reason to break off the conversation and head somewhere to do… whatever. In fact, DeLisle seems to be around pretty much whenever Moore is in danger of being asked about that year… or had to confront a larger group of people… or when he needed back-up on a mission…

At first he'd thought that maybe DeLisle was a watchdog assigned to Moore to keep him in check for some inexplicable reason but the more he kept observing them, the more he realized that DeLisle wasn't watching Moore… he was _protecting_ him. Or well, doing his best to try to because Moore being Moore… he's pretty sure Moore gave his Sergeant the slip at least a few times but DeLisle just keeps on doing it. Unobtrusively, observant and watchful and making him really, really _curious_.

So he'd tried to do a little research both on Moore and DeLisle. But everything that had come up on Moore had been things he already knew – even when he tapped into the not exactly open parts of the results that turned up – and really nothing about that year. _DeLisle_, however… had posed a whole new puzzle. The man had been doing classified work for a _whole_ lot longer than Moore… Jeez, he doesn't even know if Simon DeLisle is really his name. And he's almost sure he must have set off a few triggers during his search for information on the Sergeant – otherwise the crashing of his laptop, complete with the hard drive wiped clean irretrievably two weeks ago would have been a really _big_ coincidence even by SGC standards. He'd stayed away from any computer-based research ever since then.

So he'd concentrated on strictly observing and doing some human intelligence recon – also known as 'trying to talk people into revealing stuff that's too classified even for SGC personnel' – again but so far… he doesn't know much more than before.

For example… how DeLisle can stay so unbelievably _calm_ when Moore takes out his anger on him at any given moment. Just a few days ago they'd been on a mission together that had gone down the drain very, very fast and while Moore had stayed completely calm and professional under fire – almost a little _too_ calm, considering he'd never heard language more colorful than back in their Academy days on those drills with Moore – he'd started to bitch at DeLisle the moment he'd thought they were alone.

He'd ranted and cursed and vented off steam like in the good old times and DeLisle had just stood there and let the nurse patch up his injured arm. But the _most_ astonishing thing had been when the nurse had had enough and had tried to shout back at Moore to shut him up, DeLisle had just shaken his head, said something to the nurse… and had gone right back to listening to Moore's tirade.

It hadn't been the first time that had occurred and over the last few weeks it had turned into the greatest puzzle for him. Hell, _he_ had been tempted to yell at Moore and shove his crap where it was dark one or two times when he'd seen him going off on DeLisle in a corridor or growling at him in the mess hall or snapping at him in the ready room. But DeLisle… just takes it with stoic calm… not even a discreet rolling of his eyes or irritated shaking of his head.

Only… only sometimes a twitching of his shoulders… like… the equivalent of a very short, very soft worried sigh. Dammit, he's never going to find out what it _is_ between them if he doesn't… if he doesn't talk to _DeLisle_. Huh. That was kind of a no-brainer… or would have been if DeLisle hadn't been so damn low-key in all his mannerisms.

Ready to smack himself for overlooking the most logical course of action for so long he decides to go looking for the explosives lab because that had been one of the very, very few things he'd found out; DeLisle's prime specialty are explosives and he has access to the SGC lab. So maybe someone in there can tell him when he's most likely to encounter De… oh. Huh. There he is.

Okay… okay, not scare him off now. Cautiously, he walks into the lab and comes to stand beside the Sergeant who is bent over a sample dish. Before he can get to announce himself with clearing his throat or something like that, DeLisle says, "Anything I can help you with, sir?"

Right. That… was probably to be expected. If there's one thing that the non-existent information told him it's that Simon DeLisle is probably a very dangerous man and would know how defend himself in any given situation. Being always aware of his surroundings must come almost naturally to him.

So… excuse. He needs some excuse why he's here… "I uh… I was looking for Major Moore. Do you have any idea where he might have disappeared to?" That's probably the lamest fake request _ever_.

"You might want to try the gym, sir. That time of day he can usually be found working out." Right. That… didn't get him exactly far.

He clears his throat, feeling exceptionally stupid for some strange reason. DeLisle, however, seems to be not the least bit impressed. "Of course… thanks. I'll just…" _No_. He might never get another chance at catching DeLisle alone and also… dammit, he's a _Major_. Hasn't been one for long but that's not the point here. "Oh, no, one more thing: it's really been bugging me for a while. How exactly did you meet Major Moore?"

At that, DeLisle raises his eyebrows. "Sir?" Oh great, the Sergeant just managed to make him feel even _more_ stupid… with only a little facial movement and a single word. Yep, that's _definitely_ a dangerous man.

"Well, you see, Major Moore and I were in the same Academy class and we kind of lost touch a while before you came here. I'm just… trying to piece together what actually happened." Okay, maybe he just should have said outright that he just can't get Moore to talk.

But from the look of it, DeLisle just pieced that together himself, anyway. "With all due respect, sir but… I'd rather you not ask me. It's… not my place to tell you anything about it." Yeah, he should have known that. Unfortunately, it only served to heighten his curiosity because… in his whole bearing the Sergeant just displayed an astounding amount of loyalty and he can't help but wonder what inspired it.

Oh well. Since DeLisle knows what he wants and why he's here anyway, he can drop all beating around the bush anyway. "So… you _were_ with him this past year?"

For a moment it looks like DeLisle… does want to tell him _something_ but in the end he leaves it at a rather clipped, "Can't answer that, sir."

Sure. It still told him enough, though, just from the _way_ the Sergeant said it. "I'll take that as a yes."

DeLisle starts to look a little uncomfortable but manages to keep his tone _almost_ level. "Again sir… the answer to that is above my pay grade." Actually… it's more like the answer is above _his_ pay grade or at least that's the feeling he's starting to get. This is starting to get really interesting… and probably too hot to touch. Whatever Moore and DeLisle did during that year… it must have been dirty. _Very_ dirty; and it occurs to him that _maybe_ he doesn't want to know what it was after all. Maybe… he should really keep his fingers off that one, at least for a few more years.

However… there's still one thing he'd like to know and can't keep from asking. "Okay… okay, I get that. I just wonder… why in hell do you still put up with Major Moore and the crap he gives you on a regular basis?"

Again, DeLisle opens his mouth to say something but seems to think better of it. In the end, he settles with a quiet and dead serious, "Because someone has to, sir."

Oh. Well… that's… that's really all that needs to be said, actually. It also… makes him realize that he's been… an _abysmal_ friend. Instead of talking to Moore just for the sake of talking to an old friend, he'd tried to sound him out, stalked his records… even went as far as trying to interrogate his subordinate, for Heaven's sake. He takes a deep breath and nods. "Thanks, Sergeant."

The Sergeant… just looks at him for a moment and seems to have realized that the little word… was for more than just a simple answer and it… makes him crack a tiny half-smile for a moment and say, "You're welcome sir."

He nods again, and even goes as far as rubbing his neck a little embarrassed. "Yeah, uh… well, I'll be off to the gym then." And with that he takes his leave and goes in search of Thomas Moore… maybe to talk about house hunting in Colorado Springs or how the Falcons are doing this season… just the things friends talk about, you know?


	5. Look What You Do

**A/N:** Holiday Fic Request Meme. So I know I usually post those very early. It just didn't work last night because I was working **Keyla**'s prompt for Dec 22 and also trying to make my damn Windows Media Player work again (we don't know what's wrong with it. No one does. It's a mystery). But it's still today here. So. Uh. Oh, right. I think this is kind of an addendum to my introduction fics for the _Minor Characters_ (takes place between _Brothers in Arms_ and _All the Great Things_). I actually like this fic very, very much because, you know, I love Thomas Moore and Laura Greenspan together. It's probably the only ever true friendship between an man and a woman I ever wrote, free of any other connotations and they work so well together. They're so much fun and I just hope those of you who got to know them through my _Minor Characters_ fics love them just as much ;)

* * *

**Look What You Do**

"_Nobody cares anyway  
If you play the painted lady  
Four and more  
Five and six  
Who would have believed  
It would come to this  
Look what you do  
Oh, Ruby Blue."_

_Roisin Murphy, "Ruby Blue"_

I think that's enough now. I think Captain Laura Greenspan gave me the silent treatment for long enough now. Two weeks of telling me without a word that she's pissed are really enough. I do get why she'd do that – after all, we didn't talk to each other for over a year – but honestly, that wasn't _my_ fault?

Oh, okay, it kind of was. But not… really? Anyway, that's splitting hairs and I don't have time for that now. I'm supposed to find members for the off-world team I'm _finally_ supposed to lead in another week. Two months here and all they had me and Dee do was tag along with other teams or serving as advisors to ops that aren't exactly of the standard SGC variety. It's damn well time I get my own team and I want Laura as my medic. Seriously, Laura and no one else. And before Lorne gets to her… I need to get her to talk to me again.

I _know_ he has set his eyes on her and that he'd love to get his grubby little hands on a first rate doctor like Laura. Like hell I'm gonna give him the satisfaction of getting to her before I do. So… where's that brownstone… ah. I think that should be the one. Checking street number… yes, that's it. Thank God for senior rank and access to personnel files when you're looking for potential new team members. At least everything I had to do to get promoted to Major was worth it.

Alright. Let's bypass things that won't get me anywhere, namely ringing her bell. That woman promptly leaves every room I step in at the SGC so she sure as hell won't open her door if she so much as expects me to be the one standing in front of the door. Cute little Swiss Army knife meet lock of front door… okay, that was almost too easy. Couldn't they at least have installed a code lock or something?

Anyway… oh, of _course_ Captain Laura Greenspan would choose an apartment right beneath the roof. But at least that gives me an excuse for not ringing her bell right after finding her apartment's door. Let's pretend I didn't because I need to catch my breath, not because I have no idea what to say to her.

Unfortunately, one can only keep up that kind of pretense for so long. So I buckle up and finally press that damn bell. For a moment, nothing happens and I'm afraid I gathered the wrong intel when I overheard her telling the nurses over lunch that she wouldn't attend tonight's private medical personnel shindig before she realized I just entered the room and left herself. But then I hear something rustling behind the door and someone scratching at the door… and that's it. Okay, except another set of footsteps… leading _away_ from the door. Fuck.

But I wouldn't be where I am today if I'd given up at the first sign of trouble. I ring again. Harder now. Okay, and longer. Again rustling and footsteps and if I'm not mistaken, they sound… angrier now? Mh… "Leave me alone, Tom." It speaks!

I'm _this_ close to throwing up my arms in happiness, and believe me, I'm probably the one who's most surprised by that. Okay. Careful approach now. "Hey, I'm so glad you haven't forgotten my name after all…"

"Fuck _off_." _No_?

Wait… is she leaving her door again? No way. Another ring, followed by knocking. There. That should tell her I'm being serious about… "I _said_, you should _leave me the hell alone_." Wow, that was… clear. I swallow.

Only one way to save this now. "I'm sorry, Laura."

Silence. For… a few minutes. Then, suddenly… the door is open and she's standing there, her arms crossed in front of her chest, leaning against the doorframe. "So. You're sorry. Uh-huh."

Damn, I hate that look. It always makes me feel like I did something horribly, _horribly_ wrong. Not even my _mother_ could ever make me feel like that. Damn, I can't even look her in the eye. "Yeah, I'm… look, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you last year."

She shakes her head. "You didn't talk to me for an _entire_ _year_. Actually, you didn't talk to _anyone_." Then she looks at me again and the disappointment and hurt I can see in her eyes are exactly what I was afraid of when I came here tonight. And I didn't even know I _was_ afraid of something. "_Actually_, you just vanished without a word and then suddenly, I get an e-mail with a simple "Hey, I got transferred to Colorado Springs, beer next week?" as if you expect everything to be shiny between us?"

Hey, that e-mail meant that the first thing I did when being assigned my new duty station and being back in the US permanently was hand in a request for some leave I could get to San Antonio to celebrate her being back from her last deployment! And what's so bad about expecting things to be shiny between us? We're best friends, for Heaven's sake! How was I to know that something as insignificant as a year under the radar for me could change that? "Look, I just wanted to…"

"No, Tom. I'm not going to listen to any flimsy excuses or foggy explanations that don't tell me anything. I heard that for a couple of years already and I'm done with this. I think I'm done with _you_." What, no! Okay, so I couldn't talk much about what I'd been doing for AFSOC during my training there and the missions I went on but she _knew_ that? The moment I told her Special Operations Command pulled me off flight school, she knew there'd be prolonged periods of not talking to each other and most of all she _knew_ I wasn't allowed to talk about what I was doing there. She _never_ said anything about this before!

And _most of all_, that's _no_ reason to blow off our friendship, _just like that_. "I'm not here for explanations, Laura. I'm just here because I want to talk to a friend." She's about to say something but I'm pretty sure I don't want to hear it. Hearing her say she's through with me once was enough, thank you very much. "Can we please not do this out here? If you're about to end this friendship, at least let's do it in _private_?"

For a moment, it looks as if she'll just shut the door in my face but then she nods and steps aside. Trying not to hesitate, I enter the apartment. I think I heard she say to someone in the infirmary that she's sharing it with some civilian or other. There are only few signs of her having moved in and I guess that's because she didn't have much to move, anyway. For some reason, Laura never was a person to accumulate much beside the bare necessities of life.

So we're in the living room now. And she's glaring at me again. At this rate, I'll _never_ get my team medic. Okay, so, um… "Look, Laura, I get that you're a little… miffed…"

"A little _miffed_? Are you even _listening_ to yourself, you moron? I'm not miffed, I'm pissed off, _and I have every right to be_!" Oh come _on_. But she let me in. That has to count for _something_.

I also think that this is a good time for this diplomacy thing. "Hey, uh, I know that I probably didn't… depart under the best of circumstances," spare me the snorting if you want me to try and keep this diplomacy thing up, _okay_? "But… it was part of the job. And… I didn't do it because I _wanted_ to?" That… was not supposed to sound like a question.

"Oh right, and you couldn't even have sent me a _birthday_ card? Holiday greetings? Sent Charlie and Anna congratulations for their second kid? _Anything_? To _anyone_?" No. No, I couldn't. I wasn't _allowed_ to, _okay_?

Okay. Diplomacy. Diplomacy's the word. Yes. "Look, I _wanted_ to, okay, but…"

"I was _deployed_, Tom!" Oh. Yes. Yes, she was. And… I think… I think I'm starting to get what this is about. Dimly. "Afghanistan, for Heaven's sake! I never pulled 72 hour shifts before, dammit! I could have used your fucking _support_!" This is a bad moment to tell her that I was in Afghanistan around the same time for a couple OEF ops, right? And it's an even worse moment to tell her that I saw her during one of those 72 hour shifts in Camp Warehouse, isn't it?

But I wish I could tell her. I wish I could tell her I was there because one of my team members needed emergency surgery in a field hospital as well equipped as the Germans' one and I wish I could tell her that I wasn't allowed to talk to her because my commanding officer knew I knew one of the doctors serving there. I wish I could tell her I tried to find a way to lock her up in her quarters so she'd sleep off the horrible way she looked when I saw her coming out of the hospital building to sit down in front of it, her crumpled scrub cap in her hand and her head on her drawn up knees and I'm pretty sure she was crying with exhaustion. Dee said as much when he came back from the tentative Laura scouting mission I sent him on.

I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Laura." It came out quieter than intended.

She shakes her head again… but somehow, she sounds… _different_ now, when she says, "You said that before."

Mh. I _think_ I can allow myself a little lopsided grin now. "It's still true." Aw, don't try to give me that glare again. I _am_ sorry. I can't help adding, "Come on, you're my best friend. Did you really think you could lock me away in the tallest room of the highest tower and beset me with a dragon?"

I can see very well that her first reaction is to want to shout at me again for the quip but she has known me for practically all her life. She _knows_ no one can keep me from going somewhere if I want to. Or if my duty demands it from me. It's still not nice to hear the weariness in her voice when she asks instead of shouting, "Where were you, Tom?"

"In Narnia." It comes out so fast that it nearly shocks _me_. But that's what months of conditioning do to you. And besides, telling her where I really spent almost all of last year would put _her_ in danger. I'm not going to do _that_.

Not even if it makes her shout at me again. "Goddammit, Tom, not even your _mother_ knew where you were!"

Oh, come _on_. "When did my mother ever know where I was?"

"Tom! Stop being a fucking idiot!" Could she please _stop_ insulting me?

"I'm not being…"

"Yes, you are." I just _said_ I'm not being an idiot. I'm protecting her and my mother and… "Look, even if you didn't want to tell your mother… you could have told your _friends_. Not even Evan and Charlie knew where you were." Actually… That's not _quite_ true. Williamson knew. Or at least… at least Williamson knew I wanted to get out of there. It's why I'm at the SGC now. But I guess it's not a good idea to tell her that now.

So instead I tell her the _other_ truth. "I _couldn't_, Laura."

Again, she's silent for a while. Instead of saying anything, she sits down on the couch and hides her face in her hands. Damn, I should have never come here. I shouldn't have come here to harass her after a day of weird medical issues and… "I never told you before… but I hated the job they gave you."

Oh. Well. She never… _said_ anything about that before. But then again… I never told her I didn't like that she chose a field as unpredictable and dangerous as virology as her specialty. I just figured she'd do it anyway. And I guess that's what she thought when I wordlessly accepted the transfer to AFSOC.

However… unlike Laura, who loves all the research stuff she's doing… I never _wanted_ to be drafted by AFSOC. I just figured it was the only thing I actually excelled at. I sigh. "It wasn't just you."

Mh. That seemed to have surprised her, since she actually looks at me again, frowning. "Tom, why didn't you…"

"I did. I quit the job." Or I asked Williamson if he couldn't find at least _some_ unit that could use someone like me and wouldn't put me behind a desk _immediately_. And he did. "Why do you think I'm in The Springs now?"

"Yeah, well… That's probably the one thing that saved you, Tom." In more way than one, actually. But let's not tell her that.

Also… did she just tell me she has sort of forgiven me? Does that mean it's a good idea to ask her this now, "So… would you… would you do me the honor and be my new team medic?"

"I don't believe this." Mh, maybe _not_. "Here I thought you came to me to talk about…"

Hey, we _did_ talk! I even apologized! I've had it now. "Laura! I was just handing you the damn hatchet to bury it! I want you on my team because you're my _friend_, okay?"

And because I can't bear the thought of anyone else putting you in danger other than me. Because there's no one who can protect you better from your stupid workaholic self than me. I hope my very pissed off glare can communicate that.

Mh. Wow. Yes, it actually looks as if it _did_. Who's looking contrite _now_, missy? "Okay, yes, I will."

Oh, Wait. She just said yes. I… uh… have a new team medic. _Yes_. That _totally_ warrants a grin and a lot of smugness. "Lorne's going to be _so_ sad."

"You're such an asshole." Of course I am. What did _you_ think?

Besides… "It's what you love about me, isn't it?"

I take that rolling her eyes think as a yes and… "Shut the fuck up and sit your ass down."

Uh, what? "Excuse me?"

"Full Metal Jacket's on tonight and my roomie's out of town for the rest of the week." Oh. Right. She wants us to spend the rest of the evening lounging around on her couch, watching war movies. Actually, that sounds like a really good idea.

So I flop down on the couch next to her with the words, "Why didn't you say that earlier? Got popcorn?"

There's a trademark "why do I even bear with you" sigh and then she gets up and comes back with a bowl that she pushes against my chest – _ow_! – with the words, "Knock yourself out," sits down next to me and switches on the TV, just in time for the opening credits.

We both slide down the couch and put our feet up on the coffee table and I keep punching her for making all the wrong quips in all the wrong places and she keeps kicking me for trying to keep all the popcorn to myself and suddenly… suddenly it feels as if I was never gone. So much that I can't help saying, "I missed you, Laura."

I'm waiting for her to snort and laugh at such an admission or giving me a lecture on never having had to take that assignment in the first place but all I get is, "I missed you, too, Tom," and a grin while she steals some more of _my_ popcorn. Just like in the old days. Maybe I didn't ruin our friendship, after all. Maybe, just for once in my life, I had a _good_ idea. There's a first time for everything.


End file.
